Today men have multiple options when it comes to helping maintain or grow hair that they may be losing. Starting with Rogaine or Rogaine foam this product was discovered to grow hair by accident. The original purpose of this now topical cream was being studied back in the 1980′s as a treatment for hypertension. As the studies progressed the investigators noticed that it was not meeting the end points for helping to control high blood pressure, but an unusual side effect reported by men was that they were noticing increase hair follicles. This potential adverse event was seen as a much needed treatment for men and women to help them with their hair challenges.
Once Rogaine went generic it eventually went over the counter and now there are several preparations for the hair growth product. It just goes to show that while some chemical entities the true nature of what they are expected to do may lead to other helpful cures. There are several other drugs that have entered the market as a treatment for other ailments other than what they were originally intended to do.